Rail joint



JA4 R. BAUMANN. RML JolNT. FvlLr-:D SEPT. 27. 1921.

' Jan. 30, 1923.

2 sneETs'sHEET 2 heei JOHN R. BAUMaNn, or :anp wine, laltri);trasera.

kRAIL JOINT.

vApplication filed September 27, 1921. Serial No.`503,603.

To all fio/tom t may concern Be it known that el, Joni: R. BUMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing rat Red Wing, in the county of ioodhue and -itate of Minnesota, have inventedcertain new and useful improvements Ain Rail Joints; and Ido hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will. en-able others skilled in the art to .which it appertains to make and use the same. A

rIhis invention relatesto a rail joint of spliced shoe construction.

The main objects are to provide a novel and improved construction givingza' practically perfect expansion joint. so that the rails may contract and expand with ease; one in which the use of bolts is avoided; one having a connector holding both rails in place and strengthening the joint between them; one in which the connector forms part of the rail and avoids the knocks as a wheel passes from one rail to another in continuity as practically a single rail; one that securely locks and holds the connector'in place; a shoe that gives bearing strength to both rail ends;I al connectorl that is easily fitted and applied readily as by a sliding bottom plate and such a construction as will beless expensive than the usual fish plates and bolts.

Additional objects and -advantages will appear hereinafter, the description to be taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating` one practical embodiment.

In said drawings -Figure 1 is a plan view of rails connected by means of my improved structure;

. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the parts of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1; Y

Figure t is a detail perspective view illust-rating one end of a rail to be joined by my improvement;

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one end of my improved splicing connector and chair-plate associated therewith.

Throughout the views, like reference characters designate corresponding or similar parts.

Referring specific-ally to the drawings, a chair plate 7 is provided to mount meeting ends of adjacent rails 8, and a splicing connector 9 for said ends.

. Splicing connector l9 has la y.treac liaI1ge 10 corresponding .to .and y tread flanges of the rails 8 yat 11.` Depending wallsor webs 12 are formed integral with the tread 10 and spaced from each other at 13; I isrardly, integral with the walls 12,.are base flanges or .walls7 which have depending ribs 1 5 'integral therewith. This connector-Sluis independent .of chair plate 7.

@n the chair plate 7, ribs lfnest. 16, preferably.'integral with-,the plate :7,jrise therefrom and yterminate `in hook ends 17, which overlap ribs p15 and flanges llet 'to .prevent relative vertical movement ofthe plate-7v and connectorv). l

Aszshownat 18, both ends yof .one wall 12 extend beyond the ends of the other wall 12 and the rib 15 carried by the first wall extends in like manner beyond the rib carried by the second or shortened wall. The tread 10 is cut away flush with the inner surface of the web or wall 12 of great-er length.

rlhe rails in the main, are of standard construction, involving in addition to the said tread flanges 11, webs 19 and base flanges 20. Tread flanges are cutaway at 21, so as to interengage with the ends of the tread 10 of the connector.

ln use, the rails 8 being in proper proximity, and the connector being detached from the plate 7, such connector may be coupled with the rail end by vertical movement. The connector is forced downwardly so that the adjacent web rails will be received in thevspace 13 at the ends of the tread, and flanges 10 and 1l will interlock as shown in the drawings. By longitudinal sliding movement, below the rails, chair plate 7 may then be positioned, so that the flanges 17 will overlap flanges 14 and thus prevent vertical displacement of the 'chair plate and connector or relative vertical movement thereof.

If desired, of course, plate 7 may be at"- tached to the connector before the rails are secured to the connector, in. which event, the rails are by longitudinal sliding movement disposed so that the webs 19 enter the spaces 13 and the tread flanges 10 and 11 interlock as in the previous instance.

It is to be borne in mind, that the rails are of standard construction, aside from the cutting away of the tread flange at 21 and 22. In view of this fact, the rails may inalining withV ythe Extending laterally and down-A flanges 19 of the.

v I. .li langes itially be manufactured of this shape or when desired, ordinary rails, by rn'eans of a hack saw, for instance, can have a portion of the Atread flange thereof inoved, so as to conform to the shape of the rails 8.

Changes inay be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Vif hat is claiined is l. A. rail joint comprising a connector having a tread portion, spaced depending webs carried by said portion, adjacent rail ends having 'their tread flanges cnt away and adapted to have their web portions received between the spaced webs of the connector, said tread flange of the connector having a cut away portions, said connector adapted to have its tread portion longitudinally overlap and rest on the upper edges of the rail webs at the rail ends, and to have its cnt away portions overlap longitudinally the tread flanges of the rails.

2. A joint forrails comprising a connector, a tread flange on the connector to aline with the tread flanges of the rails, spaced webs depending 'roin the tread of the connector, base flanges extending from said webs, ribs depending from said base flanges., said connector at its ends having cutaway portions, the webs of the adjacent rail ends ,being disposable intermediate said webs of the connector, the base flanges of the adjacent rail ends being disposable in the space below the base flanges of the connector, the tread flanges of the adjacent rail ends being cut away to overlap longitudinally with the tread flange of the connector, a chair on which 'the adjacent ends of the rails rest, said ribs resting on said chair adjacent the longitudinal edges of said base flanges, said chair having npstanding flanges, and hooked ends extending inwardly from said flanges to overlap the base flanges andA ribs carried thereby, whereby to prevent relative vertical Inovenient of' said connector and said chair.

ln testimony whereof l affix niy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN R. BAUi, ANN.

litnesses SIGIND L. HJERUUSTAD, ESTHER E. Bnn'ro. 

